12 Years a Slave: A Painful Truth
When my husband Anthony and I left the movie theater after seeing 12 Years a Slave this past Saturday evening, I KNEW I had to blog about this movie. Even though I don't feel like I have much to say - that hasn't already been said - I feel like I MUST speak. I MUST write. Because 12 Years a Slave shook me to my core in way that hasn't happened in a very long time. I left the theater thinking, I've got to tell THE WORLD to go see this movie. Four days later, I do have a few more thoughts. So here you go... I. US slavery was a brutal, evil part of our country's history: The US slave trade is said to have begun in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia (my parents' home-state). For over 250 years, human beings were sold as cattle for the purpose of financial gain for their slave masters. 12 Years a Slave handles this period of time with fervor and brutal honesty. It is very painful to watch, but it is an authentic portrayal of one man's story . It a